Storm Clouds and Starry Skies
by M3RC3R
Summary: What if Lucy didn't meet Natsu in Hardgeon? What if she met the Thunder Legion instead and happened to hit it off with a certain Lightning Dragon Slayer? LaLu story. Lucy joins the Thunder Legion. Stronger Lucy and other minor plot tweaks inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Storm Clouds and Starry Skies**

 **Authors Note: Hi this is my first story ever so please have some patience with me. Main pairing will be LaLu. Lucy will not have any sort of major relationship or feelings regarding Natsu throughout this story so if that bothers you then stop reading now, seriously I don't see Natsu as a possible romantic interest for anyone. Major plot changes ahead as well. Bit of warning; I use the mannerisms and terminology from the anime rendition rather than the manga so if that bothers you than congratulations for making it farther than the hardcore NaLu fans. Also there will be some slight Loki bashing. Don't get me wrong, I love Loki as a character, the bashing just kind of fits into my idea for this story, in my head anyways. This story will remain rated T but I might change it in the future; let me know you feel about that. Also I apologize if the fight scenes aren't very good, I'm just gonna describe them as they appear in my head. Lastly, constructive criticism is welcome, flamers and haters are not.**

 **Laxus: Get to the damn story already, you're boring people!**

 **M3RC3R: *smirks deviously* Ooooh someone's excited to meet the new and improved Lucy.**

 **Laxus: *blushes before growing a scowl* STOP STALLING AND START TYPING!**

 **M3RC3R: *starts sweating bullets* AYE SIR!**

 **P.S. For this and all future chapters: I OWN NOTHING.**

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter (yeah I know real original)

It was a beautiful day in the port town of Hardgeon when Lucy Heartfilia found herself in a magic shop haggling over the price of a gate key.

"Now how much did you say it was for that key?" Lucy asked with a cute pout while showing off a generous amount of cleavage. (In this story just picture Lucy wearing Lucy Ashley's outfit minus the tattoo. It's more practical since she'll be taking a more active role in close combat situations)

"I said 20,000 jewel" replied the seemingly unfazed shop clerk.

After being in the store for nearly an hour she managed to get the key for 19,000 jewel.

 _How the hell could he get a load of all this and not give me a better discount!?_ She thought while mentally gesturing to her curvaceous figure.

 _Oh well, it's not like it put that big of a dent in my-_ her thoughts were cut short by a loud yell consisting of: "IT'S THE THUNDER LEGION!" Followed by "THEY'RE SO COOOOLLLL!" (Wonder who said that?)

Recovering from her daze, Lucy processed what she just heard. _The Thunder Legion...AS IN FAIRY TAIL'S THUNDER LEGION!?_

She rushed to the crowd of people and while struggling to break through the wall of limbs she caught glimpse the one and only Laxus Dreyar. _I have to talk to him._ She thought with renewed determination.

Laxus Dreyar was annoyed enough after completing his idea of the most boring mission ever that brought him to Hardgeon in the first place. His team was tired of back to back S-Class missions so they set off to destroy a brand new dark guild that sprung up near the port town, if you could even call them a guild. They were more like a band of punks playing thug life. And now he was being mobbed by fans. _Just fucking beautiful._ He thought sarcastically.

Suddenly he felt someone bump into him from behind.

Turning angrily he started, "Who the hell just….." He froze when he saw her.

Beautiful was the only word his brain could conjure to describe the girl on the ground before him. From her golden blonde hair to her chocolate colored eyes, with the innocent face of an angel atop a body built for sin. Forget skipping a beat, his heart stopped altogether.

After processing his sudden surge of emotions only two thoughts crossed his mind. _Who is this beautiful girl and what the hell has she done to me?_

Lucy was sitting on her knees massaging her bruised rump, and her ego, from the fall before she realized who exactly she just ran into. As she looked up, her vision was filled with a six foot five wall of muscle, seriously this guy is built like a brick wall, and he was angry to say the least. Quickly she jumped to her feet, bowed her head, and began profusely apologizing to the irritated man before her.

"I am really really really sorry Mr. Dreyar, I didn't mean to run into you like that, it's just that I saw you there and there was the really thick crowd and I really want to talk to you about something that's really important to me and-" she was cut off when a large hand clamped over her mouth.

"Ok Blondie, first of all, you just said 'really' way too many times, second of all, don't forget to breathe, and lastly what are you some kind of fangirl or something 'cuz I don't have time for that." Laxus stated, mildly less irritated after watching her animated rambling.

"FANGIRL!? Who are you calling fangirl, you overgrown sparkplug!? I happen to be a wizard too." She spat while starring defiantly at him and trying suppress a blush at her close proximity to this god of a man; seriously she was angry not blind.

In the background, Bixlow and Evergreen were struggling to keep Freed from skewering the blonde for disrespecting his 'Laxus-sama'.

Laxus on the other hand was thoroughly shocked to say the least. _She's smokin' hot and feisty; now that's my kinda woman…..Dammit where the hell did that come from!?_ In actuality, the rumors about Laxus' hit it and quit behavior when it comes to the fairer sex are completely unfounded. They're merely speculation based on the fact that he has a slight tendency to being a total dick ninety-eight percent of the time. Laxus is actually quite particular about the women he lets into his life and so far the blonde before him was 3 for 3 in traits that get his blood pumping: cute face, a body to kill and die for, and fiery attitude that doesn't take shit from anyone. Yes, he would be seriously considering making a move on this girl if he wasn't so stunned at the moment.

The Thunder Legion were currently awaiting to witness the inevitable wrath of their vengeful leader, two out of three of them even felt sorry for the poor girl. That is until they were dumbfounded by the chuckle that left his lips.

"Ha, sparkplug, good one Blondie. I like your attitude. So you said you're a wizard huh? What kind of magic do you use?" Laxus inquired.

"Um…I'm a Celestial Wizard. I have contracts with nine of the twelve zodiac spirits as well as contracts with a few silver key spirits. I can also do a few things that no normal celestial wizard is capable of." She bragged while taking in the amused expression on his face. _Wow, he's actually pretty handsome without that scowl or look of total indifference on his face._

"Wow. Not bad blondie. You've got my attention. So, what makes you so unique?" He said while managing to sound amused and mildly impressed at the same time.

"Well I can do what is known as a partial gate opening. Basically I can summon slightly weaker versions of my spirits powers and abilities at the cost of less magic. For example, **Partial Gate Opening: Gate of the Golden Bull."** After casting the spell a large axe appeared embedded into the ground beside Lucy which she proceeded to lift and then twirl around with seemingly little effort before dispelling it.

"Well damn. Color me impressed Blondie. That must come in handy when fights get up close and personal. If memory serves, that's where celestial wizards usually have the most trouble." He inquired with uncharacteristically genuine interest.

"Yes and no. While it would come in handy, I've actually mastered a different type of combat magic for close combat and other situations when I can't get to my keys." She explained.

"Care to share?" He asked while thinking, _did I just rhyme? Lame._

"It's a light element magic known as Regulus. It was actually a gift from the leader of the zodiac for always being respectful to my spirits and not treating them like shields or pets. I don't care what anyone thinks. Any decent celestial wizard treats their spirits like partners and understands that they're living beings too." She stated proudly while gesturing to the gold bands on either of her hands.

". . . ." Laxus was at a loss for words. Seeing her speak with so much fire and passion about her feelings for her spirits made him feel something he couldn't quite understand but was impressed none the less. "You know. You're really something else Blondie. You've got my respect." He admitted contently.

"Oh um thanks that means a lot coming from someone like you." She said while blushing furiously from the look of pure admiration adorning his face. "By the way Sparkplug, my name is Lucy and you're blond too." She deadpanned. "Also I was hoping I could ask you a favor when I first came over here." She asked while shuffling nervously.

"Duly noted but I'm already used to Blondie. As far as the favor though, eh why not? This has been a pretty interesting conversation so shoot." He answered with mild interest.

"Well….I want to come with you back to FairyTail so I can join your guild." She stated with renewed vigor.

"That's surprising. I figured someone as strong as you would already have a guild but if that's what you want then you got yourself a deal, Lucy." He answered with an amused smirk.

Lucy then jumped into the air and flung her arms around Laxus' neck out of sheer happiness. "OH THANK YOU SO MUCH LAXUS! I could kiss you!" Then she jumped back turning five shades of red realizing what she just did and said.

Laxus, refusing to miss the opportunity to mess with his new favorite blonde lean in next to her ear and, in a low and husky voice, said, "I definitely wouldn't complain if you did."

At that moment they were both forced to step back when a bright light erupted from between them. Lucy's look of embarrassment quickly changed to annoyance knowing full well what was about to happen while Laxus just looked confused.

The light quickly faded and in its stead a man appeared. The man was average height with spiky burnt orange hair that vaguely resembled a lion's mane and wore a pair of light blue tinted sunglasses. He also wore a black suit with the jacket unbuttoned, a white dress shirt, a red tie, and the same gold bands as Lucy on either of his hands.

Laxus deduced that this must be one of Lucy's spirits but he didn't see her touch her keys so he was confused as to what this man was doing here.

The man marched toward Laxus either completely ignoring or oblivious to the pointed glare Lucy was sending him. "Loki, will you knock it off I am so sick of this!" Lucy shouted impatiently.

Loki ignored the words of his master and proceeded to address the large lightning mage. "You better get away from my fiancé right now!" He growled.

"Fiancé?" Laxus asked, too stunned to register the threat he was just issued.

Lucy, thoroughly fed up with this situation, roughly grabbed Loki by the collar and jerked him away from Laxus, putting herself between them. "Dammit to hell Loki! How many times do I have to say it before it sinks in? We. Are not. ENGAGED! And you can't just go forcing your gate open every time a guy shows even the slightest bit of interest in me." She ranted while thoroughly pissed.

"Come now my Princess, I know my protective instincts bother you sometimes but there's no need to deny our love." He said pulling a total one-eighty from his previous demeanor.

At this point Laxus decided to step up, he refused to back down from anyone, even if he is one of Blondie's spirits. "The only one that appears to be in denial here is you pal. So why don't you just respect your master's wishes and Back. Off." He growled the last to words because he knew the situation was making Lucy uncomfortable and wanted it end as soon as possible. Why he was feeling so protective of the blonde in front of him, he wasn't sure, he just knew that something in the back of his head was telling him to help her and he was too aggravated by this guy to question it.

Lucy looked at him with a grateful smile, understanding that he was just trying to help.

Loki glared at Laxus. "Why don't you just butt out since this is none of your business?" He snarled.

Laxus was about to let his fist join the conversation but Lucy spoke up first. "Loki, I am sick of this. If you pull another stunt like this and continue making these untrue claims about our partnership, I will be forced to do something about it. Now, **Close Gate of the Lion!** "

"Lucy wait! Can't we tal-", he was cut off as he was forced back to the spirit world.

"Laxus I am so sorry about him. He can be a serious pain sometimes." She said while bowing deeply.

Laxus just waved it off like he wasn't about to beat Loki to a pulp. "Don't worry about it Blondie. Sorry to say this but I put up with annoying loud mouths on a regular basis and so will you when we get to FairyTail. Let's just say that calling my guild a 'rowdy bunch' is a serious understatement."

Lucy was shocked that Laxus was still willing to take her after Loki's outburst. _Geez, where do all these rumors about him being a jerk come from? I mean yeah, he likes pushing peoples buttons but it's he doesn't seem to mean anything by it. If anything he's been really nice about this whole thing._ "Wait you mean you're still gonna take me to FairyTail even after all that!?"

Laxus was slightly taken aback by this. "Of course. I'm not a total dick after all."

Lucy just looked up at him with a heartwarming and gentle smile. "Thanks Laxus. I really appreciate this." She said softly.

Laxus looked away to hide his growing blush. _Seriously what is this chick doing to me?_ "Yeah whatever. Let's just get to the train station so we can got outta here."

As the pair of blondes started for the train station they failed to notice the three remaining members of the Thunder Legion standing stock still with horrified looks on their faces, petrified by what they just saw. Laxus Dreyar, the Thunder God of FairyTail and one of the strongest wizards in Fiore, just blushed.

Evergreen was the first to speak. "Did….you….just….see?"

Bixlow followed. "Did the boss just….?"

Freed quickly recovered, however. "We must protect my*cough* our Laxus-sama from that harlot!" He growled. He still hasn't gotten over her outburst of blatant disrespect earlier by unceremoniously dubbing their fearless leader 'sparkplug'.

"Dude calm down, she seems pretty cool to me." Bixlow sweat dropped.

"Yes, all in all, she seems rather pleasant to be around. And Laxus appears to have taken quite a liking to her. Perhaps she'll be good for him, help him open up some." Evergreen stated.

Freed just sulked and started after the blonde duo mumbling something about 'traitors'.

(One Train Ride Later)

The Thunder Legion and their plus one all stood outside the FairyTail guild hall. Lucy was visibly trembling from either excitement or nervousness; no one could tell which. Laxus was simply observing her with an amused expression while the rest of the Thunder Legion stood behind him silently. Freed was still sulking after his declaration of vengeance was brushed off so easily.

"So, you ready for this Blondie?" Laxus asked, still amused by her apparent discomfort.

"I'm not sure Sparkplug. What if I don't fit in?" She asked, clearly distressed that FairyTail might not accept her.

"Please, after what I've seen so far, you're gonna fit in just fine." He reassured, clearly amused by the return of his nickname.

Lucy felt a small wave of relief wash over her. "Thanks. I needed that. Alright, let's do this!"

As the guild doors burst open, Lucy was greeted by the sight of a typical day in FairyTail. _This place is amazing! Everyone is laughing and having a good time. There's a girl drinking straight from a barrel, there's a guy taking his clothes off for some reason, oh and there's a blue cat that appears to be having a conversation with that pink haired guy taking bites out of a fire on a stick…oh and the cat just sprouted wings. . . . IS EVERYONE IN THIS GUILD INSANE!?_

Lucy was about to voice her concerns when the pink haired fire eater yelled out from across the room. "LAXUS, YOU'RE BACK! FIGHT MEEE!"

"Knock it off Natsu. I've got something more important to deal with at the moment. We have a new girl looking to join the guild" Laxus stated, unaffected by Natsu's antics.

Natsu, on the other hand was completely unfazed by the news. "Ok then new girl, FIGHT ME!"

Laxus was starting to get annoyed now but was interrupted before he could voice his displeasure.

"Natsu right? As in Natsu the Salamander? Sure I'll fight you." Lucy stated confidently. She then held up her right fist and placed her left hand on her bicep and chanted, " _Oh Regulus, Lend me your strength!"_ Her body began to radiate with a golden light before it focused around her clenched fists as she took up a fighting stance.

Natsu was excited and ready to go. "Oh yeah, I'm all fired up now!" He shouted, his fists wrapped in flames.

"Blondie, are you sure about this? Despite his overconfidence, Natsu is no pushover. And he's too stupid to know when to give up." Laxus asked, his voice betraying the slightest hint of concern in spite of his best effort to sound indifferent.

Lucy just looked to him and smirked. "Don't worry Sparkplug; I can handle this." She stated confidently with a wink.

"Alright but you asked for it." He relented while fighting down a blush at her antics.

"Enough talk. LET'S DO THIS!" Natsu roared as he lunged at Lucy with his fist cocked back.

Lucy knew she couldn't match Natsu's power so she had to beat him with skill. Before Natsu's fist could make contact with her face she ducked just to the side of it, getting inside of his guard. She delivered two lightning fast jabs to his gut before knocking him a few inches off the ground with a vicious uppercut and sending him flying backwards from roundhouse to the side of his head. All of her attacks empowered by Regulus causing much more significant damage.

Natsu groaned standing up; the roundhouse was fairly powerful and left him in a daze. It goes without saying that Lucy's legs weren't just for show.

"Come on. Don't tell me that's all you got Salamander. If it is then the stories give you too much credit." Lucy announced tauntingly, goading him into losing it so she can take him down systematically while he's in a blind fury.

"Grrrr, I'll show you not to mess with me!" Natsu roared preparing for his next attack. " **Fire Dragon Roar!** " A torrent of flame burst from Natsu's mouth, rocketing at Lucy.

Lucy was prepared, however. " **Partial Gate Opening: Gate of the Water Bearer: Giant Vortex** " She shouted while aiming Aquarius' key at Natsu's roar. A blue magic circle spawned in front of the key and from it a large cyclone of water burst out on a collision course with the equally large blast of fire. As the two attacks collided, both were negated and replaced by a heavy plume of steam.

Using the steam to her advantage, Lucy slipped into position a few feet behind Natsu using the stealth skills acquired from her training with Loki. **(A/N: What? Loki is a lion, lions hunt, hunting requires stealth; it's not that big of a stretch.)** However, Natsu's nose quickly found her through the steam.

He reared back his flaming fist and charged in the direction of her scent; little did he know, he was playing directly into her hands. As he saw her silhouette from inside the cloud he failed to notice that she had taken up her original stance from before the fight began. When she came into view he noticed the confident smirk on her face and felt his heart sink at the sudden realization that he fell for something.

" **Lion Brilliance!** " She cried, blinding Natsu with a bright flash of concentrated light energy. As she gathered her magic for the final blow she was surprised by Natsu blindly following through with his attack instead of stopping like she expected. His flame coated fist grazed her left shoulder leaving a nasty burn. In a last ditch attempt to end the fight before Natsu regained his bearings, Lucy fired off her final spell. Burying her fist in Natsu's gut she roared, " **Regulus Impact** ". Light erupted from Lucy's fist and Natsu was engulfed by the visage of a lion's head made of light before he was sent flying across the guild and crashed into the wall on the far side leaving a sizable crater in the wall from the force of the impact.

Lucy dropped to one knee as a wave of exhaustion hit her. She had not completely mastered the use of Regulus Impact and as such needed a small window of time in order to prepare the magic necessary to cast the spell properly. Natsu had blown her concentration when his blind attack grazed her so when she cast the spell it used up considerably more magic than it would if she had had more time to prepare.

(Natsu POV)

Natsu groaned as he tried to get up. To say that the hit he just took knocked the wind out of him was an understatement. He was surprised he hadn't lost his lunch. As he tried to get up a sharp pain shot through his gut. She had probably bruised some of his internal organs as well as cracked a few ribs. Even Natsu knew it was time to call it quits, he knew that one wrong move could land him in the infirmary if he took a hit in the wrong spot so reluctantly he stayed down.

(Normal POV)

Lucy was relieved to see that Natsu was staying down while Laxus was surprised that he was smart enough to not get back up. She wasn't sure that she could keep going after wasting so much magic on that last attack. As she tried to get up she stumbled. She braced herself for when she hit the floor only to realize that she wasn't falling. When she opened her eyes she saw Laxus looking down at her with a bored look on his face, though she noticed the worried look in his eyes, and his arm snaked around her waist. "Are you ok?" He asked, desperately trying to sound indifferent. She smiled up at him with a light blush on her cheeks, "Yeah, I'm just tired. Thanks for catching me." She responded softly. He helped steady her on her feet before letting go. She could have sworn she had heard him mumble 'Anytime' under his breath before he stepped back but brushed it off as her imagination. _Why would he like me? We just met this morning. And besides he probably has women fawning over him all the time anyways._ She was brought out of her musings when a young girl with long blue hair followed by a flying white cat similar to the blue one she saw earlier came running up to her with a concerned expression. _Seriously what's with the flying cats?_ "Excuse me miss but I've already finished healing Natsu. Would you like me to tend to your burns as well?" She asked timidly, wary of the woman who just beat up her surrogate big brother. "Yes, thank you . . ." Lucy paused waiting for the girl's name. "Wendy, Wendy Marvell. I'm FairyTail's Sky Dragon Slayer and designated healer." She replied with a little more confidence.

Lucy looked over to where Natsu landed and saw him standing, good as new. He was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head while being scolded by a girl with short white hair and blue eyes for picking a fight with the new girl. She turned back to Wendy and thought, _guess this girl really can use healing magic. And she's adorable, who could say no to such cute little girl . . . plus my shoulder reeeeally hurts._

"Yes please, I would really appreciate that Wendy. By the way I'm Lucy." She stated warmly. Wendy finished healing her shoulder before speaking again. "There, all better. It was very nice meeting you Miss Lucy." Wendy said with a shy smile.

Lucy, letting go of any semblance of self-control, scooped Wendy up in tight hug. "You are just the cutest thing in the whole world Wendy!" Lucy exclaimed happily before the white cat from earlier interrupted. "PUT HER DOWN THIS INSTANT YOU HOOLIGAN! Wendy is a young girl, not some doll you can pick up and play with!" She scolded as Lucy put Wendy down, both looking mildly embarrassed. "Carla, it's ok. I'm fine, see?" Wendy sighed, wondering if her best friend was ever going to let go of the whole 'overbearing mother' routine. Lucy stepped in. "No, it's my fault Wendy. You're just so adorable, I couldn't help myself." She stated with a sheepish smile. Wendy just blushed and quietly mumbled 'thank you' while Carla continued, "Just be more thoughtful next time." Then they both turned and walked away (or flew in Carla's case).

"Well that was fun but let's go. You need to speak with the Master." Laxus said, with an amused smirk, clearly entertained by the antics of his new favorite blonde. _Why do I get so soft around her? And better yet why doesn't it bother me that I do?_ He mused to himself.

"What's the rush? Trying to get me marked as soon as possible so I have to stick around? I must say, I'm flattered you care so much, Sparkplug." She said playfully, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

'Marked', that word caused Laxus' member to twitch and stirred something inside of him he had never felt before. In that moment he knew that he wanted, no, had to make this girl his. He leaned in close to her and with his face right next to her ear, he spoke softly, "Yeah, something like that." He then turned and started towards the master's office. Leaving a very red faced Lucy to restart her brain before following after him. He didn't know what this girl had done to him but in that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.


	2. Chapter 2

**Storm Clouds and Starry Skies**

 **Wow, just wow. You guys are awesome you know that. I can't even believe how much hype this story got in just a few hours. In fact I'd like to send a shout out to PrincessOfFT, specifically, for not only reading both of my stories but for following and favoriting both of them as well as myself. That really made my day. I plan on alternating between SCSS and Holy Knights, I'm going to try to post chapters on Thursdays and Mondays respectively for either story. If you haven't read the first chapter of Holy Knights, please do so unless you don't like Yuri pairings then don't. It's up to you. Also, I really appreciate the reviews and thank you for correcting my spelling of Bickslow's name. I was too lazy to bother looking up the actual spelling. Anyways here is chapter 2 coming to you live…..just kidding, btw, Lucy is 19 in this story and so are all of the other characters that were in the same age group as her; I have my reasons. As always I own nothing.**

Chapter 2: Unexpected Offers and a New Adventure

 _'Yeah, something like that.' What the heck was that supposed to mean? Could he…could Laxus really like me? No, I must be imagining things. He's always trying to push peoples' buttons. He was probably just playing around._ These were the thoughts that plagued Lucy's mind as she followed the subject of her musings to the Master's office.

As they approached the door they heard what sounded like heavy sobbing accompanied by mumblings of 'damn brats' and 'never gonna retire'. Lucy looked to Laxus with one eyebrow raised in silent question. Laxus just waved it off nonchalantly like this was a regular thing. _Wait, is this a regular thing?_

Laxus knocked on the door on the door and waited until a choked 'come in' was uttered. He opened the door and gestured for Lucy to enter. "Ladies first." He said with a sly grin. "Thanks", was all Lucy managed while she started to reevaluate her earlier musings once again.

Inside the office, behind the desk covered in what appeared to be a pile of complaint letters and damage reports, sat none other than Makarov Dreyar, member of the Ten Wizard Saints and esteemed Guildmaster of FairyTail, with waterfalls of tears streaming down his face. "Waaaah! I'm never gonna be able to retire with brats like Natsu running around." He sobbed, seemingly oblivious to his grandson and new guest.

"Geez old man, would you clean yourself up we've got a new member." Laxus stated, clearly irritated by his grandfather's antics.

"A new member, you say? Oh and such a cutie too. Well hello there child and welcome to FairyTail. What is your name dear?" Makarov asked, pulling a complete one eighty at the prospect of a new member.

"Oh, um, hi my name is Lucy and I'm a Celestial Wizard." Lucy replied nervously.

"Hmm, is there a reason that you do not wish to tell me your last name child?" Makarov rebutted. He noticed how she subtly changed the subject after only stating her first name.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock at having been figured out so easily. Even Laxus didn't notice that she never mentioned it until they boarded the train.

 _Flashback_

 _As the group of mages boarded the train, Laxus pulled Lucy into a private compartment while the rest of the Thunder Legion just stood there baffled before finding their own compartment (dragging Freed the whole way). He wanted his privacy but didn't feel like separating from his new favorite blonde just yet. As the two sat across from each other, Laxus came to a realization. "Hey Blondie."_

" _Yeah Sparkplug?" Lucy asked._

" _Why didn't you tell me your last name earlier?" Laxus asked, genuinely curious._

" _What are you talking about? I'm sure I told it to you, ha-ha. You probably just forgot." She stated nervously, clearly hiding something._

" _Oh really? Then what was it again?" Laxus asked, not even attempting to hide the fact that he doesn't believe her._

" _Why should I tell you again if you didn't bother to remember it the first time?" She replied, trying to sound angry._

 _Laxus sighed. "Look if you don't want to tell me just say so but I don't appreciate being lied to Lucy." He stated, dropping her nickname to show his seriousness._

 _Lucy deflated and stared dejectedly down at her feet. "I'm sorry Laxus. You're right, I shouldn't have lied to you when you've been so nice to me. You didn't deserve that. It's just that I don't want FairyTail to know exactly who I am yet. Not until I show them all what I'm truly capable of and earn their respect." She answered solemnly._

" _Well that's your call to make so I guess I'll just leave it at that." He said, not wanting to pry._

 _Before their conversation could turn in another direction the train began moving and Laxus' face turned green as a wave of nausea rolled over him. Lucy took notice of this. "Do you have motion sickness?" She asked trying to suppress the urge to giggle._

" _You will speak of this…hurgh…to no one…hmmf." He gritted through his teeth._

 _Lucy giggled and moved to sit next to him. "Don't worry your secret is safe with me. Now lay down." She said patting her lap._

 _Laxus eyed her warily for a moment before complying. He laid his head on her lap and closed his eyes, taking in her calming scent of strawberries and vanilla. He couldn't help the sigh of contentment that left his lips as her soft fingers began gently combing through his hair and he felt his nausea fading away. He soon fell asleep._

 _Lucy continued her gentle ministrations while absentmindedly starring out the window. She was happy that Laxus hadn't pressed the issue about her name. Admittedly, she was scared that he might push her away if he found out before she could prove herself to him. Even though they had just met, she felt so comfortable around him and she could tell that he felt the same way. But more than that she was happy that he was allowing her to see a side of him that few others even knew about and fewer still had ever witnessed. She refused to risk the bond they shared on a gambit on how he would react._

 _Flashback End_

"If it's alright with you Master, I'd like to keep my heritage a secret for the time being. It's not that I have something to hide. It's more like I have something to prove, to the guild and to someone else." She spoke solemnly.

Makarov sighed. "If that is what you wish child. But do know this. FairyTail is not a place of judgement and prejudice. Our members, you will find, come from all walks of life. From humble beginnings to painful histories as well as happy homes and broken families." He gave her a pointed look with the last two words, silently telling her that he already knew the truth. "No one in this guild is without scars, physical and emotional, trophies of hard won battles or harsh reminders of the pain we have endured. FairyTail is a home for like-minded individuals to come together and grow as a whole to make their own marks on this world. Here at FairyTail, everyone is family and like family, no one will judge you for where you come from, rather they will accept you for who you are and encourage you in all aspects of your life. Because that, my dear, is what FairyTail is all about." He finished with a kind smile.

". . ." Lucy was absolutely floored. Tears had begun to stream down her face from the sheer compassion and conviction that the small man in front of her spoke with. After hearing that she had decided that, while she wouldn't outright tell people who she was, she wouldn't deny her roots if someone found out. However, she wanted Laxus to hear it from her own mouth. Even in the short time they had known each other, she had come to trust the man implicitly. She couldn't even fathom how their relationship had progressed so fast but at the same time, couldn't bring herself to complain. She had thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent with Laxus and if they were moving too fast she resolved to hold on for the ride and see where it leads. "Heartfilia." That was all she managed to choke out at that moment while she calmed herself down.

"Heartfilia? Wait, as in the Heartfilia Konzern? That Heartfilia?" Laxus asked frantically.

"Yep, Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, heiress to the Heartfilia family. I ran away three years ago with nothing but my keys and the clothes on my back and I've been avoiding my father ever since. He told me that he had planned on marrying me off to the heir of another wealthy business family to secure a merger and I was expected to give birth to an heir. That was the last straw for me, I had allowed my father to dictate my actions but my heart was off limits. He didn't even care that mom always wanted me to meet someone special, fall in love, start a family, and live a happy life. I knew he only wanted me out of his sight because I look just like mom, apparently it hurt just for him to look at me. So I left and have been making a living as a freelance wizard. Had a run in with Phantom Lord a while back. My father hired them to kidnap me and bring me home." She let out a humorless chuckle, while Laxus just stared. _Who the hell is this chick and what did she do to my Blondie?_ "Ironic huh? Kidnapping me to bring me home just so he can turn around and send me away. Really shows you where his priorities are if you think about it." She spoke bitterly."While they had me locked up though, I actually made some friends." She started to brighten up. "Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox. They both felt bad about what their Master had them doing. Juvia was really kind and only joined Phantom because they were the first people to accept her for who she is. And Gajeel, he tried to act all big and mean but he's really just a big softy that's a little rough around the edges. They helped me escape so I could get in touch with the Rune Knights. After I told them how Phantom Lord had kidnapped me and held me against my will, they were reported to the Magic Council, and then disbanded. Jose Porla was even stripped of his title of Wizard Saint. If I'm not mistaken Juvia and Gajeel both joined FairyTail a little while back. I'd really like to see them again." She said as a warm smile returned to her face.

Makarov grew a thoughtful expression. "Yes I had heard about the Phantom Lord incident but never learned the details. As far as your friends though, yes, they are both currently proud members of FairyTail. And now you are as well. Now where would you like your guild mark and in what color?" He asked with his own warm smile while grabbing the stamp. He figured she had had enough of reliving obviously painful memories and decided to drop the subject.

"Oh, right um? Right here on the left side of my neck in yellow with a black border." She fumbled, having almost forgotten why she was in the Master's office in the first place.

Laxus chuckled to himself while his Gramps applied the mark. _There she is._

Afterwards they discussed Lucy's magic and unique abilities, followed by the guild rules, and lastly Makarov gave her a warm official welcome to the guild. After that Lucy and Laxus left the Master's office and started making their way back to the main hall before Lucy stopped and faced Laxus with a downcast expression.

"You were pretty quiet in there. Let me guess, now you think I'm just some spoiled princess with daddy issues running around playing wizard because I'm just trying to stick it to him." She spoke softly trying to fight back the sorrow and bitterness that were coming back.

Laxus looked a little hurt that she thought he would feel that way but hid it behind an irritated scowl. "Three things Blondie. First, I'm a little hurt that you think my confidence in you can be swayed so easily. Second, you beat Natsu. Outside of S-Class, he's one of the strongest members of this guild and you took him down like you knew how the fight would play out before it even started. So I think that more than proves that you're not just 'playing wizard'. And lastly, I'm the last person that has any right to judge someone else's daddy issues." Laxus retorted confidently.

Lucy's shocked expression quickly changed to guilt as tears formed in her eyes. "I'm sorry Laxus. I guess that's twice I've hurt your feelings now when you've been nothing but good to me. I was just scared. Scared that you would turn your back on me if you knew the truth." She choked out as her tears spilled. Suddenly she was wrapped in a warm embrace. Laxus' arm wrapped around her shoulders holding the back of her head with his other hand. Lucy's hands rested by her sides while her head was laid against his chest.

"You idiot." His tone sounded scolding before becoming teasing. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Lucy giggle and wrapped her arms around Laxus' back before looking up at him with a smile. "I guess I'll just have to try harder then, eh Sparkplug?" She retorted with her own teasing tone. Neither had taken notice that their faces were slowly inching closer to each other.

"I guess so Blondie." Laxus replied as he leaned in closer with half lidded eyes.

Their faces were only a centimeter apart now. She could feel the warmth of his lips near her own. He was intoxicated by her calming scent. They both inched closer and closer unt-.

"HEY WHERE'S THE NEW GIRL? I WANT A REMATCH!" Natsu shouted from down in the main hall. ( **A/N: How the hell did he interrupt me!?** )

The two blondes leapt apart at the loud declaration. Laxus trying his damnedest to look at anything other than the girl he was just about to kiss. While Lucy suddenly discovered that the floor was so incredibly interesting that she couldn't take her eyes off of it and her face grew red from excitement.

"Sooo . . . uh?" Laxus fumbled. Trying to diminish the awkwardness.

". . ." Lucy couldn't bring herself to say anything let alone look at the man that she was about to share a heat of the moment kiss with.

Both blondes were silently thankful when another shout was heard from the main hall. "QUIT SCREAMIN' IN MY EAR ASH BREATH!" This new voice was gruff and raspy.

Lucy looked up instantly recognizing the voice of her former enemy turned friend. "Gajeel?" She said out loud. She turned and ran for the main hall.

Laxus followed her with a look of curiosity, all while discreetly sulking about missing his chance to kiss Lucy. _I hate my life._ His thoughts were interrupted by another "COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!" _Scratch that. I hate Natsu's life; wish he didn't have it._ Instead of following Lucy he decided to let her have some one on one time with her old friend and went to sit with his team.

Lucy ran out into the main hall and there he was. The man was tall and imposing, not as much as Laxus but he was still intimidating in his own right. He had a long wild mane of jet black hair and crimson red eyes with slit pupils. He had piercings along his nose and you would be able to see the ones along his eyebrows too if it wasn't for the headband. _Huh? When did he start wearing that?_ ( **Gajeel is wearing the outfit from his fight with Sting and Rogue. I stopped half way through the description because you people know what Gajeel looks like.** ) _It looks good on him. But knowing Gajeel's fashion sense, there had to be an influence._ Lucy's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed said influence in the form of a petite bluenette, who just happened to be wearing a headband as well, that was tugging on Gajeel's arm while trying to convince him to back off from Natsu. _Well well well, looks like Gajeel found himself a special someone. If anyone else tried what she's doing they'd end up on the wrong end of an_ _ **Iron Dragon Club**_ _._

"Gajeel, if you don't cut it out right now I'm not making you any more iron for a month!" The petite girl threatened.

"BUT HE STARTED IT!" Gajeel exclaimed in disbelief. I mean sure he had already picked three fights that day, two of them with her teammates, but taking away his favorite iron, that was just completely uncalled for.

"Gajeel." She growled.

"Alright fine, you win Shrimp." He grumbled begrudgingly.

At this point Lucy decided to make her presence known. "Hey Rivet Face when did you become so whipped!?" She shouted playfully at Gajeel.

Gajeel turned toward the voice, fuming. "Alright who has the death wi- Goldilocks!?" He asked, completely stunned. ( **The bunny girl thing didn't happen so this is her new nickname.** )

Lucy walked up to Gajeel and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug which he returned tensely, not much of a hugger. "It's so great to see you again. So who's your girlfriend?" She asked knowing it would get under his skin.

"Goldilocks this is Levy McGarden, Shrimp this is Lucy Heartfilia the girl I told you about from my Phantom days." He said to Levy, completely unfazed by the girlfriend comment.

The now named Levy blushed brightly from the comment but couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips from seeing how comfortable he was with others knowing that they were together. In truth they had just started dating a few weeks ago after being nearly inseparable for months after Gajeel took a hard blow during a mission that was meant for her. In their time spent together they both started to develop feelings for each other. It wasn't until one day when Levy asked Gajeel to go with her on a mission to translate an ancient tome for a wealthy man who was donating it to a museum when things changed. The client was a handsome young man who quickly took an interest in Levy and was extremely obvious about it. Unfortunately, for him, the second he tried to make a move on her Gajeel put the man's head through a wall and told Levy how he felt. The rest is history.

Natsu realized that no one was even giving him the time of day and sulked away.

Lucy was shocked at how Gajeel didn't even react to her teasing until she noticed the smile on Levy's face and realized that they actually were together. "Wow, Levy McGarden, it is an honor to meet the woman who can reign in this knucklehead." Lucy said while shaking Levy's hand and ignoring Gajeel's indignant 'HEY!'

"It's really nice to meet an old friend of Gajeel's and he can be a handful at times." She said, ignoring another 'HEY!' "Anyways Gajeel's told me a bit about you. Is it true that you're writing a novel?" She asked hopefully.

"I'm sure he is," by this point Gajeel gave up and went to sulk in his corner, "and yea I am writing a novel but I'm not finished yet. I was hoping that joining the guild and going on missions and adventures could help inspire me." Lucy said cheerfully, happy that she was on her way to making a new friend.

"Can I read it!?" Levy blurted excitedly with so many stars in her eyes that Lucy swore she could pick out a few constellations.

"Well, like I said, it's not finished yet and besides I'm sure it's not all that good." She replied bashfully, she had always been self-conscious about her abilities as a writer. She had never actually let anyone read her work because of that and because of that, her skills as a writer have never been validated. She knew her reasoning was counter-productive but she couldn't help it.

"I'll be the judge of that if you promise that I can be the first to read it?" She asked with a pleading look.

Lucy eventually agreed and the two continued to chat for a while. They found out that they had a lot in common and quickly became close friends. Lucy also discovered that Juvia was away on a mission with Lisanna, Mirajane Strauss' little sister as she was informed, and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Lucy was excited to see the look on her old friend's face after seeing her again.

Over at the bar, a raven haired young man was talking to the white haired barmaid about a certain new blonde.

"Interested in the new girl huh Gray?" The barmaid, and resident demon matchmaker, asked with a mischievous grin.

"Look at her Mira, she's smokin' hot and doesn't know anyone here other than Laxus, Natsu, and Gajeel. Gajeel is taken, Natsu is an idiot, and Laxus is a jerk so there's no way she's interested in any of them. I'm gonna go ask her out before someone else does." Gray stated confidently.

"Good luck." Mira said in a sing-song voice already picturing their babies.

Lucy and Levy were having an animated discussion about one of their favorite books that they shared when Lucy heard someone clear their throat behind her.

Levy turned to see who it was. There stood Gray Fullbuster, Ice Wizard and the guilds resident stripper. "Oh hey Gray. What's up?" Levy greeted her guildmate cheerfully.

"Hey Levy." Gray greeted before turning to Lucy. "So what's your name newbie?" He asked her playfully.

Lucy stared at him for a moment before realization set in. "Hey, you're that stripper I saw when I first walked in!" She blurted.

"Stripper what are you. . ." He looked down and noticed his shirt was gone. "GAAH! NOT AGAIN!" He cried before composing himself again. "Whatever, I came over here to ask if you wanted to go on a date some time. I could take you to dinner, maybe show you around town." He asked hopefully.

"A date? No thanks. Don't get me wrong, you seem like a nice guy and you're definitely attractive but I've kinda already got my eye on someone." She answered apologetically, trying to let him down gently.

Gray, however, was as stubborn as Natsu and refused to give up. "Aw come on. Just one date is all I'm askin' for. And if you don't have a good time I won't bother you again." He said confidently.

"Sorry but the answer is still no." Lucy stated starting to grow bored of this topic.

"Alright, how about we fight for it then?" He asked deciding they would handle this the FairyTail way. He was in the middle of his own brawl when Lucy kicked Natsu's ass so he wasn't paying attention and therefore, didn't know what she was capable of. In fact he didn't even know the fight happened.

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked, her interest piquing at what she might be able to get from Gray if she wins.

"We fight. And if I win you go on a date with me." He answered with a cocky grin.

"And if I win?" She asked expectantly.

"Then you don't have to." He stated as if it were obvious.

Lucy stared at him for a minute. _Is this guy soft in the head or something?_ "You moron. I could just say no right now and I still wouldn't have to go out with you. If I win I plan on actually getting something out of this deal." She stated, irritated by his idiocy.

"Ok well what do you want?" He asked dumbly.

"How about this, if I win you owe me a favor and you have to do it no matter what, deal?" She stated with confidence.

Gray thought about it for a moment before agreeing. Natsu and Gajeel, who heard everything with their dragonslayer hearing, started spreading the news about the fight and people began filing outside to witness the spectacle.

Laxus, who had also heard the entire conversation, was silently fuming. _Who does that stupid Popsicle think he is asking my Blondie out?_ Laxus' possessive nature towards his favorite blonde starting to show before he remembered her fight with Natsu earlier and smirked to himself. _Never mind, she's got this covered._ He then stood up and followed the crowd to watch the ass-whooping that was soon to come.

The two stood about ten yards away from each other with a worried looking Mirajane standing in between them off to the side. _This isn't how a cute couple should get together._ "Ready? FIGHT!"

" **Ice Make: Lance** " Gray shouted as the icy spears shot from his hand. " **Partial Gate Opening, Gate of the Scorpion: Sand Buster.** " Lucy fired off a powerful sand twister out of Scorpio's key which demolished Gray's attack.

"Alright then, **Ice Make: Prison**!" Gray shouted as he summoned a cage of ice around Lucy. "Let's see you get out of there." He taunted.

"Watch closely." She taunted back. " **Partial Gate Opening: Gate of the Golden Bull: Labrys!** " Taurus' signature axe appeared in front of Lucy. She took the axe in hand, having gained most of Taurus' brute strength and axe wielding prowess from the partial gate opening, and chanted. " _Oh Regulus, lend me your strength,"_ Labrys began to glow gold as it was infused with Regulus, Lucy then raised the glowing axe above her head, hoping to end this fight in one move and prove herself to the entire guild in one fell swoop. " **Unison Raid: Lion's Rampage!** " She brought the axe down with a mighty swing, embedding it into the ground. Upon contact with the ground, a golden slash of pure light propelled off of the blade and heading straight for Gray, the ground beneath it shattering in its wake. The ice prison was demolished and the blast hit Gray, square in the chest, causing significant damage while knocking him back a few yards and smashing straight through a tree. As he desperately clung to consciousness a large axe blade appeared in front of his face with Lucy behind it. "Yield." She said in a commanding tone.

Gray would have feared for his health if he wasn't as stubborn as a certain flame brain. "Like hell! **Ice Make: Floor!** " A sheet of ice covered the ground and Lucy slipped and fell on her butt. Before she could get up Gray had created a sword of ice and aimed it at her face. "Yield," was all he said with a confident smirk on his face.

"I have to ask. How are you still standing right now?" She asked, puzzled. The fact that he was conscious alone was a testament to his endurance. . . _Wait a minute. Is he trembling? That's it! He didn't just shrug off my attack. He's standing on pure willpower. If he wasn't my opponent I'd be impressed with his determination. But at the moment he looks like he can barely keep his sword up let alone finish me with it._ Thinking quickly, Lucy came up with a plan.

"Maybe I'm just that strong. So do you forfeit or what; my arm's getting tired." He said shakily with feigned arrogance.

"I would, if I hadn't already won." She said with a confident smirk. The light of Regulus glowed around her fists, merging with the strength she had already gained from Taurus' gate.

"What are you-," He was cut off when she jumped to her feet and lashed out with a right hook shattering his ice sword before following through with a roundhouse kick to his head, effectively knocking him out.

Everyone in the guild was completely shocked. Natsu and Gray were two of the strongest wizards in the guild outside of S-Class and this new girl shows up and kicks both their asses in one day. She was something else.

Laxus was doing his best not to bust a gut after watching Gray get ragdolled twice in one day, it was made more satisfying remembering how Gray found himself in this in this predicament. _Serves him right for flirting with my blondie._ He was amazed by her combat prowess. She was completely systematic about taking down her opponents. She never attacked first, every move served its purpose, and no energy was needlessly wasted. It made sense considering that she's a celestial wizard. Opening the gate of one zodiac cost a large amount of magic by its self but Lucy could open up to three for a decent period of time before growing fatigued. After that thought Laxus had a brilliant idea.

"Oh Wendy!" Lucy called out. "Gray's gonna need some medical attention." She said with an amused smirk.

"I'm on it." Wendy said with a determined expression that, in Lucy's opinion, just made her look even cuter.

She was about to comment when she felt an arm slung over her shoulder. "Hey Luigi. You're pretty strong. We should be partners, whaddaya say?" Natsu asked with a dumb grin on his face.

"First of all Natsu, my name is-," she was cut off by Gajeel who had walked up after he heard Natsu's offer. "No way in hell is Goldilocks going with you flame brain. If she's joining anyone's team it's gonna be mine and Shrimp's." He said defiantly.

Before they could start butting heads over Lucy, they were interrupted when another voice cut in. "You're both wrong." Everyone turned to see Laxus standing behind Lucy with his arms crossed and an arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

"Because she's joining the Thunder Legion."


	3. Chapter 3

**SCSS Chapter 3**

 **Hey guys I'm back. This chapter is beyond overdue and I apologize for my tardiness but it took me forever to get the creative juices flowing, even after cleansing my palette with Tainted Skies. To those of you that were looking forward to this, here you go. To those of you that are looking forward to the next Holy Knights . . . I'm working on it. And to those of you with legal issues, I own nothing but my original spell. Enjoy.**

Chapter 3: A new team?

Lucy starred at Laxus like he had just grown a second head that sang show tunes. _Did he just say that he wants me to join his team? As in, the Thunder Legion? As in the strongest team in FairyTail!?_ Before her thoughts could continue, they were interrupted by the ever annoying fire dragon.

"What? Why would she join your team? She doesn't even know you." Natsu exclaimed, oblivious as ever.

Laxus looked at Natsu, at a complete loss for words. _Am I being punked or something? Seriously where's the hidden camera lacrima? Because I'm pretty sure that it's not physically possible to be this stupid._ "I was friends with her before you even met her; I'm the one that brought her here. The only people in the guild that know her better than I do are Gajeel and Juvia. Hell, the only part of her you're even acquainted with is her fist." Laxus stated, his voice laced with annoyance.

Gajeel had given up by this point. Unlike Natsu, he was smart enough to know not to piss off one of the strongest members of the guild. Of course, he did still learn that lesson the hard way.

Natsu was about to retort but Lucy interrupted him when she tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Natsu, I appreciate the invitation but the answer is no. Now please remove your arm from my shoulder before I get angry." She stated calmly, her voice laced with venom.

"Oh come on Luce. We would be an awesome team." He replied with a cheery smile, completely unfazed by her threat.

"Fine, you asked for it." She sighed. " **Open Gate of the Twins: Gemini!** " There was a puff of smoke and out of it appeared the small light blue forms of Gemi and Mini.

"Piri piri. What can what can we do for you Princess?" They asked in unison.

"Please get this moron off of me." She replied in exasperation.

"Of course Princess." They answered. They observed the rest of the guild members, who were still standing around, before their eyes landed of a tall muscular man with tan skin and white hair. " **Copy!** " And with that they transformed into Elfman Strauss.

" **Full Body Takeover: Beast Soul!** " Gemi-Elfman transformed into Elfman's beast soul and grabbed Natsu by his collar before flinging him in the general direction of the guild. ( **A/N: Since Lisanna was hurt by an out of control Elfman but didn't die, Elfman never gave up on trying to control his full body takeovers. Instead, he resolved to train even harder and master his transformations so that he would never endanger his family again. I have a lot of respect for Elfman and I don't think he gets enough credit in the series.** )

"Thank you Gemini, that'll be all." And with that Gemini returned to the celestial spirit world. She then turned to Laxus. "As you can see, I don't appreciate being fought over like some token." She stated while giving Laxus a glare that would put a certain Titania to shame.

Laxus cringed under her gaze while the rest of the guild backed away cautiously, minus the now semi-conscious Gray and the dutifully distracted Wendy who Lucy's aura seems to be ignoring. Everyone quickly discovering that a pissed off Lucy is worse than pissed off Mira. "O-of c-course Blondie. It was really more of an invitation, totally up to you." Laxus managed to ramble out as fast as he could.

After hearing Laxus' apology, sort of, Lucy's demeanor made a one-eighty and Lucy gave Laxus a beaming smile. "In that case, I would love to join the Thunder Legion, in six months." She stated cheerily.

"Perfect, well then I'll go grab us a . . . wait. SIX MONTHS!? Why six months?" He asked incredulously.

"Simple, I want to do my own thing for a while. You know, go on missions, find my own place, get to know my new guildmates, and just get used to the whole 'guild wizard' thing." She explained casually.

Laxus just sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind, though he still looked a little dejected. "Fine, six months." He relented.

Lucy just stared at him, trying and failing at hiding her smile at the look on his face. "Are you . . . pouting? Oh come on Sparkplug it's not like we won't see each other for six months, we just won't be going on missions together. You're still one of the few friends I have here and we're still gonna hang out all the time." She said as she playfully punched his arm.

Laxus shot her a glare. "Ok first, I do not pout, and secondly, I'm gonna hold you too that Blondie." He finished with a smirk.

"I would expect nothing less." She retorted but before she could continue, the now fully conscious Gray decided to add his two cents.

"What? Why would you join that jerk's team?" Gray asked, with a scowl, somehow having lost his pants between when he landed and now causing Wendy to blush furiously and cover her eyes.

"Firstly, Laxus is only a jerk to the people he doesn't like. Secondly, what's it to you whose team I join anyways? And lastly, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON YOU PERVERT! YOU'RE MAKING WENDY UNCOMFORTABLE!" She ranted, Carla joined her on the last comment, pulling Wendy into a hug to shield her from Gray's less than clothed state.

"Tch. Whatever, be that way. Just don't come crying to me when he hurts you." Gray spat, still bitter about losing his chance to date Lucy, as he started to walk away.

Laxus, thoroughly fed up with Gray's attitude, didn't care for Gray's comment. "The only one around here that's gonna get hurt is you if you keep talking like that Popsicle." He growled, electricity crackling around him.

Gray flinched at the threat but didn't acknowledge Laxus and kept walking.

At that moment Lucy recalled her end of the bet and knew exactly what she wanted. "Oh Graaay." She started in a sing-song tone. "You still owe me that favor. Anything I want, remember?" She asked sweetly.

Gray turned and gave her a cautious look. "What do you want?" He asked warily.

"Hmm, how about half your rewards for your next ten jobs? Only if the reward's over 20,000 jewel of course, don't need you getting any funny ideas about ripping me off." She replied, her smile never leaving her face.

Gray's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. "What!? But that's a bare minimum of a hundred thousand jewel! Not happening." He said defiantly.

A dark aura of terror and nightmares surrounded Lucy while the smile never left her face, Wendy still somehow unaffected, and Gray began to tremble in fear. "Ok ok deal." He stated, shielding himself with his arms.

"Glad we have an understanding." And with that Lucy began her six month mission to get acclimated to guild life.

Things were going well. In that time she found a nice little two bedroom apartment for 80,000 jewel a month. She went on several missions of varying rewards and difficulties. She quickly formed new bonds throughout the guild, becoming friends with just about everyone. The only people she could do without were Gray and Natsu. Natsu wasn't terrible, he was just annoying and incessant, not that his damn cat was any better. He would always bug her about going on missions together, which she readily declined after the first time when he destroyed half of a small town and they lost the entire reward. He even snuck into her apartment once and slept in her bed with her, when she woke up she . . . well let's just say he won't be making that mistake twice, he also now has an irrational fear of crustaceans. Gray on the other hand is always bitter and indifferent towards her after she humiliated him in front of the entire guild just to turn down a date and proceeded to extort him for what ended up amounting to 600,000 jewel. And the worst part is that Mirajane, the demon matchmaker, adamantly believes that Lucy harbors feelings for one or both of them, completely oblivious or in denial towards Lucy's fairly obvious feelings for Laxus.

On a brighter note Lucy and Wendy have grown extremely close, almost always going on missions as a pair. Wendy even moved out of Fairy Hills and into Lucy's apartment, with Carla and her approval of course. Lucy made her the offer when she found out that Wendy didn't have a proper caretaker, no twelve year old should have to fend for not only herself but for her talking cat as well. After that, the two took on a sort of mother-daughter role. Sure, they were only six years apart ( **Yes Lucy is 18 in this story, the idea of a 23 year old dating a minor made me uncomfortable.** ) but Lucy quickly started seeing Wendy as the daughter she always planned on having when she was ready and wanted to help her grow into the amazing woman she knew she would be. And for Wendy, while Lucy could never replace Grandeeney in her heart, that didn't mean there wasn't more than enough room for Lucy as well. She never outright called Lucy 'mom' but Lucy swore she heard Wendy mumble it in her sleep every once in a while when she tucked her in. As far as rent and necessities, they split the cost but since they went on most of their missions together they never had to worry about either of them coming up short. Wendy has also grown much stronger in their time together ( **Basically the level she was at during the GMG minus her secret arts.** ) and takes a much more active role in combat situations, not that Lucy would ever willingly put her in a dangerous situation. Due to the new closeness in their relationship, Lucy even entertained the idea of adopting Wendy but decided to give their relationship time to set before thinking about anything concrete; though Lucy did hint at the idea to Wendy in a joking manner once or twice and received fairly enthusiastic reactions. But Lucy isn't the only one that's gotten close to the resident sky dragonslayer.

True to her word Lucy and Laxus still spent plenty of quality time together over the six month period, further solidifying their friendship; now both were fairly certain of the others feelings but neither felt comfortable taking the plunge. And in that time Laxus was forced, though not reluctantly, to spend some time with the little sky maiden. At first he saw it as an opportunity to grow closer to Lucy but soon he came to realize that he quite enjoyed the company of the tiny bluenette. She would regularly ask him about anything under the sun, as children do, and he would even help her train and hone her fighting style. He even found himself often giving her advice and encouraging her to do her best at anything she tries, not unlike a father for their child. When the three of them are together, to the common stranger they look like a normal happy family, though most of the guild believes it's just some bizarre friendship that probably centers around some obscure common interest. Most of the guild members can't seem to grasp the concept that Lucy and Laxus both have very strong feelings for each other, mostly stemming from the fact that Lucy is so kind and caring while Laxus is, for lack of a better word, a jackass to pretty much anyone who's not Lucy, Wendy, the Thunder Legion, or the Master. Yes in their time together Lucy even managed to mend the broken bonds between Master Makarov and his forlorn grandson. While this is not the only impact she has had on an individual member of the guild it is certainly the most prominent.

All of this combined into what became six fairly productive months and now Lucy has decided that it is time for her to take her place among the Thunder Legion, though not without one discrepancy.

"What?" Laxus asked so eloquently in response to his favorite blonde's request.

"I said, Wendy and I are ready to join the Thunder Legion." Lucy replied cheerily. She and Wendy had arrived at Laxus' home to discuss Wendy joining the Thunder Legion as well, though Carla had decided to stay behind.

Laxus just stared at her, contemplating how to go about the situation. _So now she wants Wendy to join too. Well fuck. Personally, I don't see the problem but the Thunder Legion is probably gonna raise nine kinds of hell when we tell them. Wendy has become a lot stronger in the last three months but we go on some pretty dangerous missions. On the other hand, I'm sure Lucy wouldn't have suggested this if she didn't think she couldn't protect Wendy, not that I would ever let anything happen to either of them. Let's hear Wendy's take on this._ "Yeah, that's what I thought you said." He replied before turning his attention to Wendy. "So kiddo, how do _you_ feel about this?" He asked her while he crouched down to her level.

"Well, you know I can use healing and support magic. And because you and Lucy have been helping me train, I can handle myself in a fight much better than I ever thought I'd be able to." Wendy replied nervously. She didn't think she could bare it if Laxus turned her down. Ever since they started getting closer, she began to look up to him and appreciate his advice and guidance. In a lot of ways she started to see him as the father she never had.

"That's not what I asked Wendy. I asked how you felt." He rebutted, his voice laced with concern. The truth is that he was worried. He first got to know Wendy because he knew that she was important to Lucy and in that time, she quickly became important to him as well. He cared a great deal for Wendy and couldn't live with himself if anything happened to her because he wasn't able to stop it.

"I know. It's just . . . these last six months have been some of the best times of my entire life and it's all thanks to you and Lucy. I know it's selfish but I can't help but feel that if you and Lucy joined the same team without me then we wouldn't get to spend time together anymore. You both mean so much to me, I just couldn't bare it if I got left behind." Wendy's voice cracked as tears started streaming down her face. The very idea of not having the two of them around proving to be too painful for someone who's already lost a parent once in their short life.

Laxus felt like his heart shattered when he saw Wendy's tears. He quickly wrapped her in a warm embrace, stroking her hair and assuring her that everything is going to be alright and that he would never leave her behind.

Lucy felt her heart swell at how Laxus was treating Wendy. He was like a concerned father desperately trying to calm his distressed child. She knelt down next to them and joined the embrace. She turned Wendy around and pulled her into her own hug while Laxus wrapped his arms protectively around the two of them. At that moment Laxus new that there will never be anything, in this lifetime or the next, that is more important to him than the two girls in his arms.

The three of them just sat like sat that for a few minutes until Lucy noticed that Wendy had cried herself to sleep, though her tears had transitioned from sorrow to joy and she slept with a peaceful expression. "She fell asleep. Poor thing, I'll bet she's been worrying herself sick over this." Lucy said solemnly as she stood with Wendy cradled in her arms.

Laxus stood with them before leaning over and kissing Wendy on her forehead and leading Lucy over to lay her on his couch. After Wendy was settled and comfortable he turned his attention back to Lucy. "I know what you mean. No twelve year old girl should have to go through this kind of stress. She needs a home. A real family with parents who love her. Where she doesn't have to worry about facing everything life has to throw at her until she's actually prepared for it." Laxus stated. He had moved closer to Lucy by this point and snaked his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest, enjoying the warmth of his embrace and the feeling of safety it brought.

She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with curiosity and hope. "What are you trying to say?" She asked quietly.

"I'm saying that maybe we could be that family. What do you say? Just the three of us, one little happy family." He stated with a compassion that only Lucy and Wendy were privy to, as he leaned closer to the girl that he was sure he was head over heels in love with. He didn't care that things were moving extremely fast. He didn't care that he was instigating it. All he cared was that it felt right, and he wouldn't change it for the world.

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears of joy as she leaned in as well. "I say, nothing would make me happier." She replied, her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She knew that she loved Laxus with all her heart and she wanted nothing more than to share this experience with him.

But fate is not always so kind. At that moment a very familiar flash of golden light erupted between the almost lovers.

"Stay away from her." Loke growled while the light faded, glaring at Laxus.

"Oh great. The little lion cub is back." Laxus snarled sarcastically, electricity crackling around him.

"LOKE, WHAT THE HELL!? I thought I warned you not to do this again." She shouted angrily. "Laxus and I are in the middle of something so I'll deal with you later. **Forced Gate Closure!** " She attempted to close Loke's gate only for it to fail. "What!? Why can't I close your gate?" She asked frantically.

"I've spent the last six months saving my magic energy so that I could hold my own gate open and deal with the man trying to take you from me once and for all." He stated, his glare never leaving Laxus.

"So the little kitten wants a fight . . . I'm game." Laxus retorted, the electricity around him flared wildly for a moment.

"Then the winner claims Lucy's heart." Loke announced, his fists glowed gold.

"Um, excuse me. Don't I get a say in this?" Lucy asked, frustrated.

"Not to worry my love, I will protect you from this heathen." You can guess what delusional idiot said that.

"Never mind, Laxus, please teach him a lesson for me." She asked, exasperated.

"With pleasure," Laxus cast his gaze towards Wendy's sleeping form, "but we do this outside. I'm not letting you disturb Wendy because you're delusional. That little girl has been through too much today as is." Laxus proclaimed before making his way to the door, not waiting for an answer.

The two combatants made their way outside while Lucy stayed inside. Just because she gave Laxus permission to beat down one of her spirits doesn't mean she wants to watch, instead she contemplated her options on a long term solution for her Loke problem. They stared each other down for only a moment before Loke lunged at Laxus, full powered Regulus fist cocked back. Just before making contact Laxus disappeared in a flash of lightning and reappeared behind Loke. "You'll have to be faster than that." He commented before delivering a lightning infused kick to Loke's ribs and sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Loke proceeded to rise back to his feet. "Don't count me out just yet. You will not take my Lucy from me. **Regulus Blast!** " A golden magic circle appeared before him emitting a large blast of pure light.

"She was never yours to begin with. You're just too delusional to accept that! **Lightning Dragon Roar!** " Laxus unleashed his own powerful blast of energy. The two attacks collided with a bright flash before cancelling each other out. "You're gonna have to do better than that lion cub." Laxus taunted, a look of boredom on his face.

"DON'T MOCK ME!" Loke roared, rearing back his fist. A large golden magic circle appeared under his feet. " **Regulus Gatling Impact!** " He shouted, unleashing a barrage of flaming lion's heads.

Laxus didn't react, in fact he didn't move at all and took the brunt of the attack. When the smoke cleared Laxus was still standing, practically unfazed by Loke's strongest attack. Loke stared at him completely terrified by just how powerful Laxus really was.

"Well since you came at me with your best, I guess I should return the favor." Laxus said while shrugging off his jacket. He then proceeded to unbutton his shirt before taking it off as well. "Don't get the wrong idea four-eyes. I just don't wanna ruin my shirt." At that moment Laxus' eyes started glowing pure white and his muscles grew to near inhuman proportions while scale like tattoos appeared running from his lower biceps to his upper forearms. " **Lightning Dragon Mode.** " If Loke wasn't terrified before, he was now. "Let's end this, shall we?" Laxus asked, raising his hands above his head, immense amounts of lightning gathering in between his hands. " **Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!** " He released the energy in the form of spear-shaped bolt of pure lightning. The spear travelled at immense speeds before finding its mark in the center of Loke's chest before enveloping him in a massive flash of light followed by the sound of roaring thunder. When the light died down, it revealed a shocked Loke with a gaping hole in his chest, his physical form wavering as began to fade back into the celestial spirit world. No words passed between the two as Laxus changed back to normal. Nothing more needed to be said. At least not between them.

" **Open Gate of the Lion: Leo**." Lucy appeared at the edge of the battle field. Opening Loke's gate with her own magic to heal his wounds and keep him there so that she could proceed with what she had planned. "Loke this game has gone on long enough. I've put this off in the hopes that you would grow up and move on but it's now obvious to me that that is never going to happen so you leave me with no choice." She held Loke's key to the sky and began to recite an incantation. " _Sun and Moon converge. Leo the Lion pass through the eye of the eclipse and be reborn anew._ **Lost Magic: Celestial Transmigration!** " She cried as a black light erupted from Leo's key and began to envelope the spirit.

"What!? Lucy, please you can't do this!" He cried out desperately. Though his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"You left me no choice. Goodbye Loke." She stated solemnly, a single tear sliding down her face.

The black light fully engulfed Loke's form before changing into dark flames and flickering away to reveal someone new in Loke's place.

The newcomer looked like Loke but without his glasses. His hair was now much longer and even more resembled a lion's mane. The biggest change of all though was the lack of his suit which had been replaced with a set of black and gold plate armor with several claw and fang-like motifs.

After taking in his appearance, Lucy addressed the newcomer. "Hello Leo, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. It greatly saddens me to say that our meeting has been a long time coming." She spoke softly with a sad smile, almost as if in mourning.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance Miss Lucy. I shall endeavor to protect you with my very being. As a side effect of my summoning your connection to Regulus has been severed and replaced with my Dark Regulus. Do with that what you will. Until you require my assistance, I shall take my leave. I must inform the Celestial Spirit King of my coming." And with that he disappeared in a flash of black light.

Laxus had put his shirt and jacket back on now but was confused beyond belief at this point. "Ok, I can tell that you're upset but what the hell just happened?"

"Celestial Transmigration is a spell that reincarnates a celestial spirit into a new form known as an eclipse form. The spell isn't forbidden but it's extremely regulated and can only be cast when a spirit blatantly disregards their master's wishes on multiple occasions and prove themselves beyond reprieve. The Loke we knew now no longer exists, replace by Leo the Black Lion." She stated sadly while observing the now onyx black bands on her middle fingers.

Laxus understood the gravity of what she just told him and knew how she must feel. In an effort to comfort her, he pulled her into a loving embrace and simply held her, not uttering a single word while she cried into his shirt. Nothing he could say would change the fact that she just erased someone she cared about. Despite Loke's faults, Laxus knew that Lucy loved all of her spirits and that her choice caused herself a great deal of pain. After a few moments Lucy stopped crying and looked up at Laxus. "Thanks, I'm ok now. Look at the bright side. Now I don't have to look over my shoulder every time I say this. I love you Laxus Dreyar." She announced softly before leaning up and kissing the man she loves.

Laxus returned the kiss in full. They kept it up for some time until the need for oxygen just barely managed to outweigh their need to continue.

"I love you too Lucy Heartfilia. And I always will." Laxus stated after recovering his breath. He then captured her lips once more in a searing kiss filled with passion, again only separating for air.

Lucy recovered first this time. "So when are we gonna tell the rest of the Thunder Legion about Wendy?" She asked hoping a change of subject will help lighten the mood. Thoughts of Wendy's smiling face helped to dull the pain in her heart.

Laxus took notice of her change in demeanor. "Oh I'm sure they'll come over at some point today." He replied with his patented smirk.

"Oh, however shall we pass the time until their arrival?" She asked with mock innocence.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." He retorted before leaning in and smashing his lips against hers once again in a much less gentle and much more passionate kiss. Until they were interrupted once more.

"Um, Laxus, Lucy?" Wendy asked timidly having woken from her nap to find her two favorite people, outside, in a passionate embrace. And while she couldn't be happier for them, it was still awkward and things were starting to drift into the realm of PG-13.

Lucy pulled away from Laxus and turned to Wendy with a warm smile. "Hey Wendy, are you feeling better?" She asked as she crouched down next to the girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble." Wendy replied while looking dejected.

"Wendy you have nothing to apologize for. You were under a lot of stress. You've been worrying about this for a while now, haven't you?" Lucy asked softly as she wrapped her arms around the little girl.

Wendy just returned the hug and nodded into Lucy's shoulder.

At this point Laxus joined in, resting his hand on Wendy's head. "Yeah, well you don't have to worry anymore sweetheart. Because Lucy and I are never gonna leave you behind. Welcome to the Thunder Legion." He stated with a confident smirk.

 **So what did you think? I know Laxus and Lucy's relationship developed pretty fast story wise but hey, I gave them six months. As far as the whole thing with Wendy, I read a story where Lucy and Laxus sort of adopted Wendy and they had a very familial relationship and I really liked it. Also if what I did to a fairly OOC Loke seems a little harsh I apologize I just really wanted to replace him with a fairly OOC Eclipse Leo and now Lucy has Dark Regulus. Oh and if I hear one thing about Laxus being overpowered, I. Will. Snap. I have read too many stories where Laxus seems like a freakin' pansy compared to canon Laxus and I do not intend to follow that trend. Thank you for reading and please review. I love reviews, preferably good ones but I'm open to constructive criticism.**

 **Next Time: Confronting the Thunder Legion and Galuna Island.**


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